The 5% Truth Most People Refuse to Believe
The subconscious mind: I often tell people that we use less than 5% of our conscious, logical mind on a daily basis. Some don’t believe me. But here’s what neuroscience reveals: up to 98% of our behaviors are controlled by our unconscious mind—what I call the subconscious.
The word “sub” means below. So when I speak of the subconscious mind, I’m talking about the mind that operates below your conscious awareness.
Think of it this way: The conscious mind is a new add-on option. And most people choose not to use it.
Let me tell you a story that will reveal exactly what I mean—a story that will show you it’s your subconscious controlling all the decisions you make, and you don’t even know it because it operates when you are thinking, not paying attention.
The Riddle That Reveals Everything
One day, a man and his son were driving somewhere, and they got involved in a car accident. The man did not make it, but the boy was rushed to the hospital.
Reaching the hospital, they had to call the greatest surgeon in the city to come and operate on him. They did.
When the surgeon saw the patient, they said: “No way! I cannot operate on my son!”
So the question is: Who is the surgeon?
Before I give you the answer, I want you to write down the answer you came up with. Did you get any?
You see, your subconscious mind was conditioned to believe that a woman cannot be the greatest surgeon in the city. That’s why many of you struggled to get an answer—because your subconscious is biased. It couldn’t come up with the answer since it was programmed to worship men. And now the man had not made it in the car accident, so it was confused.
For those of you who use a relatively bigger percentage of your conscious mind, you were able to effortlessly come up with the answer—because the conscious mind is creative.
The surgeon was the boy’s mother.
The Processing Power You Never Knew You Had
Your subconscious mind is a very interesting machinery. It is extremely powerful—with a processing power of about 40 million bits of information per second. It’s the powerhouse of who you are.
Your subconscious is purely memory-based. It has access to your conscious memory and many other unconscious levels of memory, including:
- Evolutionary memory
- Genetic memory
- Karmic memory
- And more
Your conscious mind, which resides in the prefrontal cortex part of the brain, is the seat of awareness. Awareness sits in the conscious mind—and you are the awareness.
So, you sit in the prefrontal cortex. That’s your home.
But here’s the critical truth: Awareness can only do two things—THINKING and PAYING ATTENTION.
Awareness can only do those two things, but it cannot do both at the same time. You are either thinking or paying attention—but you cannot do both simultaneously.
Who’s Really Driving Your Life?
Here’s where it gets profound:
When you are thinking, you are not paying attention. When you are not paying attention, the subconscious mind by default takes the wheels of your life.
When you are paying attention, it’s YOU on the wheels of your life.
But we spend the majority of our time in our heads thinking—which means we don’t pay attention—and the subconscious mind dictates our life.
This explains why most people don’t achieve their goals. They don’t achieve their goals because they are always thinking, not paying attention. And when you are not paying attention, it’s the subconscious mind on the wheels.
And the information in your subconscious mind? You did not choose it.
The Invisible Force Controlling Your Decisions
Let that sink in for a moment.
The beliefs, biases, fears, and patterns running your life were downloaded into your subconscious without your permission. They came from:
- Your childhood experiences
- Your parents and caregivers
- Your culture and environment
- Your genetic inheritance
- Generations before you etc.
And now, they operate silently in the background—making decisions for you while you’re lost in thought.
Every time you:
- React emotionally to a situation
- Repeat the same relationship patterns
- Sabotage your own success
- Feel stuck despite wanting change
…it’s your subconscious running the show.
The Path Forward: Awareness Is the Key
The good news? You can change this. But it requires understanding how these two minds work together—and learning to reclaim the driver’s seat.
At WitsValley, we focus on helping you understand and train your subconscious mind so you can:
- Recognize the invisible patterns running your life
- Develop conscious awareness of your automatic behaviors
- Build new mental programs that support the life you want
- Learn to be present and intentional rather than lost in thought
The journey begins when you recognize that you are not your subconscious programming. You are the awareness that can observe it, question it, and ultimately transform it.
Your Next Step
I have written extensively about the subconscious mind and how to train it. If this resonates with you, explore these resources:
Recommended Reading:
- The RAS Rewire — Learn how to identify subconscious patterns
- The Creation Code — Discover techniques for conscious reprogramming
- The Science of Belief — Master the art of present-moment awareness
Take Action:
- Begin your awakening journey with WitsValley’s subconscious mind training systems
- Practice paying attention to what you’re paying attention to
- Start noticing when you’re “in your head” versus when you’re truly present
Remember: You are not your memories. You are not your programming. You are the awareness behind it all—and awareness has the power to choose.
The question is: Will you stay asleep at the wheel, or will you wake up and take control?
Ready to stop living on autopilot? Explore WitsValley’s subconscious mind training programs and begin the journey from unconscious living to intentional creating.
Did this article resonate with you? Share it with someone who needs to wake up to the power of their own mind. You might be the voice that reminds them: the subconscious is driving—but you can take the wheel.
